Container filling machines



Nov. 30, 1965 Filed June 21, 1963 R. C. TAlSEY CONTAINER FILLING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 30, 1965 R. c. TAISEY CONTAINER FILLING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Juhe 21, 1963 Nov. 30, 1965 R. c. TAISEY 3,220,445

CONTAINER FILLING MACHINES Filed June 21, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 30, 1965 R. c. TAISEY 3,220,445

CONTAINER FILLING MACHINES Filed June 21, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 30, 1965 R. c. TAISEY 3,220,445

CONTAINER FILLING MACHINES Filed June 21, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,228,445 CONTAINER FILLING MACHINES Richard C. Taisey, Groton, Mass., assignor to John A. Carrier Corporation, Burlington, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed June 21, 1963, Ser. No. 289,495 4 Claims. (Cl. 141-159) The present invention relates to improvements in container filling machines and more particularly to an improved apparatus for filling containers with variegated ice cream and similar materials adapted to produce a whirling pattern of said variegated material.

The ice cream or similar material is introduced into the container, which may for example, be a cup, from a dispensing head including a dispensing valve which is positioned within the cup. The valve is then opened and the valve and cup are moved relatively apart causing the cup to be filled from the bottom outwardly.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide in a container filling machine a novel and improved apparatus for filling containers With variegated ice cream and similar materials which is adapted for producing a whirling pattern of said variegated material.

With the above and other objects in view as may hereinafter appear, the several features of the invention consist in the devices, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed which together with the advantages to be obtained thereby will be readily understood by one skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a container filling and capping machine embodying in a preferred form the several features of the invention, portions of the casing having been broken away to show underlying parts;

FIG. 2 is a plan view taken on a line 22 of FIG. 1 to illustrate particularly the feed mechanism and guideway along which the containers are advanced, and the rotatable disc on which each successive container is rotated with relation to the dispensing head;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail view taken on a line 33 of FIG. 1 to illustrate particularly the mechanism for rotating the container rotating disc associated with the ice cream dispensing head;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on a line 44 of FIG. 1 to illustrate particularly the mechanism for driving the several cooperating elements of the machine;

FIG. 5 is a 'view in elevation partly in section taken on a line 55 of FIG. 1 looking from the left to illustrate particularly the ice cream dispensing head and the container rotating device associated therewith;

FIG. 6 is a sectional plan view taken on a line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional plan view taken on a line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 8 to 12, inclusive, illustrate a modified form of the invention in which rotational movements are imparted to the tubular ice cream dispensing nozzle of the dispensing head, of which FIG. 8 is a detail view partly in section of the ice cream dispensing nozzle arranged for helical up-and-down movement;

FIG. 9 is a sectional plan view taken on a line 99 of FIG. 8;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are similar views illustrating different positions of the dispensing nozzle with relation to the container supported in operating relation thereto on the guideway; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of substantially the parts shown in FIG. 8.

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The container filling machine herein disclosed may be considered as an improvement upon the container filling and capping machine of Lindstrom illustrated in the US. Patent No. 2,587,180, dated February 26, 1952, for C0n tainer Filling and Capping Machine. The machine as generally shown in FIG. 1 comprises a base 18, a guideway 12 along which containers are slid from a container dispensing station A at the right side of the machine to an ice cream dispensing station B located approximately in the middle of said guideway and thereafter to a capping station C located at the left hand end of the guideway. The containers successively discharged onto the guideway 12 from the container dispensing head A are moved by steps along the guideway 12 by means of a reciprocating container gripping and feeding device generally referred to at 16. This device consists of a pair of gripper members 18 and 20 L-shaped in cross section which extend along the length of the guideway 12 and are carried respectively on upwardly extending arms 22, 24 secured at their lower ends to rocker rods 26, 28 forming part of a longitudinally reciprocable container feeding carriage 29. The gripper members 18 and 20 are formed with inwardly facing edges having formed therein at spaced intervals irregularly arcuate indentations 30 between which the individual containers or cups are gripped. In operation the gripper members 18, 20 are moved inwardly to grip the several containers supported along the length of the guideway, are moved longitudinally of the guideway on the carriage 29 to slide the containers forward one index, are moved apart to release the containers and are then back fed on the carriage 29 to the original starting position. The feed mechanism herein described is actuated by means of an electric motor 34 mounted in the machine base which is connected through gearing to drive a cross shaft 35 and a disc 36 mounted thereon to which is attached a crank pin 38 connected by a link 40 to a point on the carriage 29. In and out movements are imparted to the gripper members 18, 20 by means of a cam actuated bell-crank lever 42 which is connected by a link 44 with the central portion of a connecting rod 46 which is in turn connected at opposite ends to actuating lever arms 48, 50 secured to the rocker rods 26, 28.

The ice cream dispensing head generally indicated at B comprises a stand 62 secured to the machine base and provided with an overarm 64 fitted to support a vertically disposed dispensing bracket 66 and tube 68 depending therefrom. There is fitted to the upper end of the dispensing bracket 66 a cross fitting 78 to the upper outlet of which is secured a dispensing valve opening and closing unit 72 hereinafter more fully to be described. Ice cream under pressure is introduced into the dispensing tube through one of the transverse outlets 74 of the cross fitting 7 0.

Small amounts of a variegated ice cream, flavoring, or the like are introduced into the main stream of ice cream moving downwardly through the dispensing tube 68 by means of a plurality of small ducts formed in the dispensing tube bracket 66. As best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the bracket 66 is formed at its lower end with an annular groove 78 from which three small ducts 80 lead to the inner peripheral surface of the dispensing tube bracket 66. A sleeve element 82 fitted onto the lower end of the bracket 66 also covers the annular groove 78 thus forming a closed annular passage to which the variegated ice cream is supplied through an inlet port 84 and associated supply line 86.

At the lower end of the dispensing tube 68 there is provided a longitudinally shiftable tubular ice cream discharge noozle 88 having at its lower end a valve opening 98 which is closed by a valve member 92 formed on the lower end of a valve stem 94. The tubular nozzle 88 with the valve 92 closed is moved downwardly into a cup or container positioned in alignment with the ice cream dispensing head. The valve 92 is now opened and the nozzle 88 is moved upwardly causing ice cream to be extruded into the cup or container. As the tubular nozzle 83 approaches the upper end of its stroke, the valve 92 again closes thus shutting off the flow of ice cream until the next container is placed in the receiving position.

The mechanism for advancing and retracting the tubular nozzle 88 comprises a bell crank lever 96 supported to turn on a stationary pivot 98 and at its forward end provided with a yoke 100 having follower pins 102 which engage with an annular groove 104 formed in the upper end of the tubular nozzle 88. The downwardly extending arm of the bell crank lever 96 is connected by a short link 106 with a cam actuated plunger 108 supported in a bore 110 formed in the stand 62. The plunger 108 and a follower roller 114 supported thereby are biased to the left against an operating cam 120 as shown in FIG. by means of a compression spring 112 coiled about the plunger 108. The cam 120 is mounted on the upper end of a vertical drive shaft 122 driven in timed relation to the reciprocatory movement imparted to the container feeding carriage 29 by means of bevel gears 123, 124 connected respectively to shaft 122 and cross shaft 35.

The valve closing unit 72 above referred to comprises a sleeve housing which is threaded into the upper outlet 126 of the cross fitting 70 and is adapted to receive the upper end of the valve stem 94. A screw threaded plug 128 closes the upper end of the housing. A compression spring 130 coiled about the valve stem 94 between a shoulder 132 in the sleeve member and a washer 134 attached to the valve stem 94 biases the valve stem in an upward direction. The stem 94 and valve member 92 are normally held down in a closed position against the pressure of spring 130 by the pressure of the column of ice cream. Downward movement of the bell crank 96 and tubular nozzle 88 under the control of its actuating cam 120 causes the Valve member 92 to move therewith until, as the tubular nozzle nears the bottom of its stroke, the spring 130 becomes fully compressed and positively prevents further downward movement of the stem 94 and member 92 causing the valve to open. Once the valve has been opened, the pressure tending to maintain the valve member 92 closed is released, so that the spring 130 is effective to maintain the valve member 92 in its opened position during the upward movement of the tubular nozzle 88. As the nozzle reaches the fully raised position shown in FIG. 5, the upper end of the valve stem 94 engages the plug 128 to again close the valve.

In carrying out the present invention mechanism is provided for imparting a relative twist to the column of ice cream to which has been added small ribbon-like increments of a variegated material and to the container into which the ice cream is extruded in order to produce a swirl of the variegated material in the ice cream filled container.

In the preferred form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, inclusive, the ice cream dispensing head above described and particularly illustrated in FIG. 5 is arranged to cooperate with a rotatable cup supporting platform which is mounted on the guideway 12 immediately beneath the dispensing head and which is given a rotational movement during each successive return upward cup filling stroke of the dispenser. The platform comprises a circular disc 136 which is fitted into a circular recess 138 in the top of the guideway 12 immediately beneath the dispensing head, and is supported for rotation on a vertical pivot pin 140 carried in a vertically disposed bush bearing 142 extending through the guideway 12. At :its lower end the pivot pin 140 has secured thereto a pulley 144. Rotational movements are imparted to the pulley 144 and disc 136 by means of a cord 146 which. is wrapped around the pulley 144 and is secured at one end to a hook 148 attached to an arm 22 at one end of the gripper member 18 and at its other end to a hook 150 attached to an arm 22 located at the opposite end of the gripper member 18. During each advancing movement of the gripper assembly in which a new container is positioned on the disc 136, the disc 136 will be rotated in one direction. During the return movement of the gripper assembly which takes place after the dispensing head has been moved downwardly into the container and specifically during the upward movement of the dispensing head to fill the container, the disc 136 will be rotated in an opposite direction thus producing a twisting movement of the column of ice cream being fed into the rotating container. This rotational movement of the cup or container is thus effective to produce a swirl efiect of the variegated material injected into the main column or stream of ice cream. I

In an alternative embodiment of the invention specifically illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 12, inclusive, the container is maintained in a stationary position during the downward and subsequent upward dispensing movement of the dispensing head while a rotational movement is imparted to the tubular nozzle with which the dispensing head is fitted. In this form of the apparatus, a tubular nozzle 160 is fitted to the dispensing tube 68 having formed in the outer periphery thereof two spiral grooves 162, 164 which are engaged respectively by machine screws 166, 168 threaded into the tube 68. As in the first embodiment of the invention described, the ice cream discharge nozzle 88 is formed adjacent its upper end with an annular groove 170 which is engaged by the follower pins 102 carried by the yoke of bell crank actuating lever 96. In this form of the invention the tubular ice cream discharge nozzle is rotated during its downward movement and is again rotated in the opposite direction during the subsequent dispensing upward movement thus giving a twist to the column of ice cream discharged into the conminer and thus producing the variegated swirl effect desired.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. In a container filling machine adapted for dispensing variegated ice cream and similar flowable materials, the combination of a dispensing head comprising a tubular conduit for supplying a main column of fiowable material, secondary supply connections with said conduit for injecting a stream of variegated material into said column to provide a continuing stream of said variegated material in the column, a tubular discharge nozzle connected with and longitudinally movable with relation to said conduit, actuating means for reciprocating said tubular discharge nozzle between retracted and container entering positions, a dispensing valve within said nozzle, means for operating said valve during the retracting movement of said nozzle to fill said container from the bottom outwardly, a container support on which a container is positioned with relation to said dispensing head for filling, and means operable during said retracting filling movement of said nozzle to relatively rotate said nozzle and said container support to produce a swirl of said variegated material in the filled container.

2. In a container filling machine adapted for dispensing variegated ice cream and similar flowable materials, the combination of a dispensing head comprising a tubular conduit for supplying a main column of fiowable material, secondary supply connections with said conduit for injecting a stream of variegated material into said column to provide a continuing trace of said variegated material in the column, a tubular discharge nozzle, a spiral cam and follower connection between the tubular conduit and discharge nozzle providing for a longitudinal and rotational movement of said nozzle with relation to said conduit, actuating means for reciprocating said pivot or discharge nozzle between retracted and container entering positions, a dispensing valve within said nozzle shiftable between dispensing and shut oif positions, means operable during movement of said nozzle to shift said valve to fill position during the retracting movement of said nozzle, a container support on which a container is positioned with relation to said dispensing head for filling.

3. In a container filling machine adapted for dispensing variegated ice cream and similar flowable materials, the combination of a dispensing head comprising a tubular conduit for supplying a main column of fiowable material, secondary supply connections with said conduit for injecting a stream of variegated material into said column to provide a continuing trace of said variegated material in the column, a tubular discharge nozzle connected with and longitudinally movable with relation to said conduit actuating means for reciprocating said tubular discharge nozzle between retracted and container entering positions, a dispensing valve within said nozzle, means for operating said valve during the retracting movement of said nozzle to fill said container from the bottom outwardly, a rotatable container support on which a container is positioned with relation to said dispensing head for filling, and means operable during said retracting filling movement of said nozzle to rotate said support and the container thereon to produce a swirl of said variegated material in the filled container.

4. In a container filling machine adapted for dispensing variegated ice cream and similar flowable materials, the combination of a dispensing head comprising a tubular conduit for supplying a main column of flowable material, secondary supply connections with said conduit for injecting a stream of variegated material into said column to provide a continuing trace of said variegated material in the column, a tubular discharge nozzle connected with and longitudinally movable with relation to said conduit, actuating means for reciprocating said tubular discharge nozzle between retracted and container entering positions, a dispensing valve within said nozzle, means for operating said valve during the retracting movement of said nozzle to fill said container from the bottom outwardly, a container support having a fill position on which containers are successively positioned with relation to said dispensing head for filling, a container advancing gripper reciprocating in the line of feed to impart a stepped advancing movement to said containers successively to and from said fill position, a rotatable disc in said container support on which said containers are successively located in said fill position, an operating connection between said rotatable disc and said container advancing gripper responsive to the reciprocating movement of said container advancing device to rotate said disc, and actuating means including mechanism for advancing said gripper to position a container on said disc, and thereafter for advancing and retracting said tubular discharge nozzle during the retracting movement of said gripper whereby a swirl is imparted to said variegated material in the filled container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,590,299 6/1926 Liddell 141279 X 1,913,743 6/1933 Borchert 53- 282 1,951,694 3/1934 Goulstone 141-9 2,919,724 1/1960 Anderson 141-105 X 3,061,078 10/1962 Davies 198-218 3,103,959 9/1963 Anderson et al. 141-100 XR 3,128,800 4/1964 Faerber 141-159 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 38,116 5/ 1936 Netherlands.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CONTAINER FILLING MACHINE ADAPTED FOR DISPENSING VARIEGATED ICE CREAM AND SIMILAR FLOWABLE MATERIALS, THE COMBINATION OF A DISPENSING HEAD COMPRISING A TUBULAR CONDUIT FOR SUPPLYING A MAIN COLUMN OF FLOWABLE MATERIAL, SECONDARY SUPPLY CONNECTIONS WITH SAID CONDUIT FOR INJECTING A STREAM OF VARIEGATED MATERIAL INTO SAID COLUMN TO PROVIDE A CONTINUING STREAM OF SAID VARIEGATED MATERIAL IN THE COLUMN, A TUBULAR DISCHARGE NOZZLE CONNECTED WITH AND LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE WITH RELATION TO SAID CONDUIT, ACTUATING MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID TUBULAR DISCHARGE NOZZLE BETWEEN RETRACTED AND COINTAINER ENTERING POSITIONS, 